Changing money is one of the more irksome tasks we have to tackle before going on holiday - but Sweden might soon be making it much smoother.

Riksbank, the world's oldest central bank, has announced that it's exploring the concept of a 'digital currency' to accompany its Swedish kroner notes, which could ultimately save tourists a trip to the currency exchange desk.

Enabling people to purchase kroner online would be similar, but not the same, as the way virtual currency Bitcoin is already used by travellers to pay for things like flights and hotels.

Riksbank, the world's oldest central bank, has announced that it's exploring the concept of a 'digital currency' to accompany its Swedish kroner notes, pictured

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'The number is rising, but is still estimated to be under a million digital-currency-accepting merchants globally.'

Sweden is currently seeing a huge decline in the use of traditional notes and coins, as the Swiss embrace increasingly efficient card payment methods.

Riksbank, pictured, is the oldest central bank in the world and now one the most progressive

In fact, circulation of its currency has fallen by 40 per cent since 2009.

Riksbank's deputy governor Cecilia Skingsley said in a statement: 'The less those of us living in Sweden use bank notes and coins, the clearer it becomes that the Riksbank needs to investigate whether we should issue electronic money as a complement to the money we have today.'

The bank pointed to the fact that almost everyone now has access to the internet via computers, smartphones and tablets, which provides good conditions for more electronic forms of payment.